14-03-2025
Caddo, Natchitoches public defenders contracts axed by governor's appointee
CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—Five District Public Defenders in Louisiana learned that their contracts will not be renewed, including the 1st Judicial District Defender in Caddo and the 10th Judicial District Defender in Natchitoches Parishes.
The Public Defender Association of Louisiana (PDAL) announced an emergency meeting to discuss public defenders' contracts in response to emails sent to DPDs, which was held on February 27, 2025, informing each individual that their contracts would not be renewed for the 2026 fiscal year. Additionally, the remaining 32 DPDs were required to schedule individual meetings with State Public Defender Remy Voisin Starns to 'review' their contracts.
PDAL issued a statement saying, 'PDAL opposes the State Public Defender's continued pattern of exceeding his statutory authority and the multitude of decisions that run contrary to the American Bar Association's Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System. Most notably, Principle 1 entitled Independence reads in pertinent part as follows:
Public Defense Providers and their lawyers should be independent of political influence… [and] [t]he selection of the head of the Public Defense Provider, as well as lawyersand staff, should be based on relevant qualifications…[n]either the chief defender norstaff should be removed absent a showing of good cause.
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The mention of 'political influence' refers to a move made by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry in 2024 in his efforts to reform the State Public Defender's Office. The move increased the governor's power over public defenders by creating an office of the state public defender and hand-selecting a head, essentially muting the power and autonomy of the existing Louisiana Public Defender Board. Starns was Landry's chosen leader for the newly created office.
During a state legislative hearing, Michelle AndrePont, from the Caddo Parish Public Defender's Office, was among those to testify – primarily related to her office's budget and pay for its defense attorneys, which has been the subject of ongoing debate and frustration for board members and public defenders.
In a statement, the five DPDs whose contracts will not be renewed issued the following statement.
We remain steadfast in our belief that opting to testify before the Louisiana Legislature inattempts to maintain the independence of the Louisiana Public Defender System was notonly the right decision but our duty as public defense leaders. We believe independence iscrucial to a functioning criminal legal system. Additionally, all District Public Defendersand line defenders must be free from political influence. Termination without cause forspeaking out is the antithesis of that freedom.
We are also very proud of our continued work with Governor Landry's newly appointedLouisiana Public Defender Oversight Board (LPDOB) to establish objective criteria forfair compensation of District Public Defenders. We have privately and publicly supportedthe Board's plan, despite the State Public Defender's objection to it, because it valuesfull-time public defense leaders and long-term service to the public defense system. Webelieve Lousiana citizens deserves leaders who are as committed and hard working asthey are. For voicing these beliefs, we face termination without cause.
Our contract non-renewal flies in the face of the bedrock American value of Freedom ofSpeech codified in the First Amendment. We are hopeful that Governor Jeff Landry willsupport the Constitution and uphold the ideal of public defense independence.
The public defenders say they will continue advocating 'on behalf of the Public Defense System in opposition to any abuse of statutory authority.' A meeting of the Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board (LPDOB), as mandated by the Louisiana Legislature, is scheduled for late March. The association expects the decision not to renew the contracts of the five District Defenders and the 'review' of the others will be part of the meeting's agenda.
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